Home for the Holidays
by Pikachulover25
Summary: Due to Ven's nagging, Roxas finally returns to Twilight Town just in time for Christmas. There he discovers a few surprises, as well as a chance to rekindle some romance with a childhood friend of his...Will all turn out well for a happy Christmas romance? Or will he return home with an empty heart? Read to find out!


Since I wrote a Christmas fanfic last year, I decided I would try and make this a sort of tradition since I love rokunami fluff and what's better than some winter romance? Thankfully this one is not as sad or depressing or whatever and more fluff. I do apologize however for the length since I did not split this up into chapters, but I honestly didn't know how long it was until I was at 10 pages... T_T

Anyhow, hope you enjoy it and Merry Christmas! (Be nice and drop a review!)

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Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters or blahblahblah

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"Where to, sir?"

"Twilight Town, please," Roxas replied curtly, already preoccupied with staring out the window of the taxicab.

As the car began moving, the blonde young man settled into his seat, tucking his head into the red scarf wrapped around his neck. Snow flurries flew through the chilly air outside, frosting the car windows. It had been a long while since he had been back to Twilight Town. Ever since landing a job at one of the top law firms in Radiant Garden, Roxas had been very busy with hardly any time for traveling. The last Thanksgiving, he had gone to visit some of his college friends. This holiday, however, he had been practically summoned home by his brother. Roxas couldn't help but wonder who would all be back in town. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had stayed in Twilight Town to go to the university there, but he didn't know what they were up to currently. Who knew if Sora, Kairi, and Riku would be there. Chances were that they had either stayed in Radiant Garden or returned to Destiny Islands. The only ones Roxas could guarantee would be there would besides Ven would be Cloud and Vanitas. Although Cloud was usually occupied in Hollow Bastien, Ven always managed to somehow drag him back home for the holidays. Vanitas on the other hand seemed much like the one who would skip out on family gatherings, but he was actually quite loyal to his family, even though Ven was more of family to him than Sora was.

Roxas's mind suddenly drifted off to a beautiful blonde girl with soft blue eyes. He briefly wondered if Namine had stuck around Twilight Town. She had left to attend a prestigious art school not far from Radiant Garden. For a while the two of them had kept in close contact by writing letters to each other. Then when graduation began approaching and they became much busier, their communication had gradually dissolved. Roxas felt a smile touch his lips as he thought of her. They had been the best of friends for years growing up. He soon found himself hoping that Namine would indeed be back for the holidays.

When they arrived in sleepy Twilight Town, Roxas thanked the taxi driver before making his way home from the train station where he was dropped off. He was really just navigating to the place Ven had bought since he had returned home from school in Radiant Garden. He had bought a nice townhouse near the middle of town sine he worked for Ansem Industries. Ven may have been a bachelor, but Roxas knew that he prided being a homeowner and having a place to eventually settle down.

There was a faint dusting of snow covering the stoop up to the house where footprints had made distinct imprints. Obviously other people had arrived before him. Roxas rang the doorbell then shoved his hands back into the warm sanctuary of his coat. Even with gloves on it was still frigid for exposed flesh to be bared. A moment later the door opened, making Roxas feel as if he was looking into a mirror. There in the doorway Ven beamed at him before pulling him intoa tight hug.

"We were wondering when you were going to get in," he said as he pulled his younger brother into the house.

Inside it smelled like warm food and laughter could be heard from the other rooms. Roxas threw Ven a questioning glance. Ven nodded as he gestured for him to drop his things off by the stairs as he removed his outerwear and gloves and put them in the closet by the door.

"Cloud and Tifa arrived yesterday and Sora, Kairi, and Riku got here this afternoon. Hayner, Pence, and Olette just got here."

"Vanitas?"

Ven chuckled. "Oh, he's been buning here for the past week."

Just as he said so, a gangly raven-haired man wandered into the hallway, a bottle of beer in his hand. His amber eyes ran over Roxas before a sly grin stretched across his face.

"Speak of the devil," Ven muttered, smirking.

"Look who it is. Roxas decided to come home after all," Vanitas sneered, sauntering up to them.

Roxas frowned. "I never said I wasn't going to come."

Vanitas rolled his eyes dramatically, throwing both his arms up. "You young people, wanting to live your lives and do everything. Who cares about the fucking holidays."

"Language, Van–"

"Who are you calling young? You're only four years older than me," Roxas retorted.

Vanitas smirked. "But you see, I'm a cultured adult while you're just a young'n. I've seen things you wouldn't imagine."

"You do remember that I hung out with Axel's gang, right?"

"Roxas!" All three men winced at the ear-splitting scream as Sora came bounding forward, tackling Roxas into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm, uh, glad you to see you two, Sora," Roxas choked out, silently begging for Ven to help him, who only shook his head, grinning.

"I can't believe it's been so long since we've seen you! Why don't you ever come and visit us? Are we less important than you stupid job? We're family, Rox!"

Luckily, Sora's rapid-fire questioning was stopped when two large hands plucked him from Roxas before he suffocated him. Roxas looked up gratefully at Cloud, who held Sora back, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips.

"Hey, Cloud," greeted Roxas.

Cloud nodded once, then reached forward to rustle his messy golden locks. Only Cloud could ever get away with such an action without Roxas wanting to strangle him (Sora knew from experience.) Although their age difference was ten years, Cloud had always had a soft spot for his youngest brother, having been almost a father figure to him growing up after their parents' deaths.

There was a momentary silence as Cloud and Roxas stared at each other before Vanitas broke it by punching him somewhat playfully in the shoulder.

"Axel's throwing a party tomorrow night. It is Christmas Eve after all. You up for getting hammered?" he asked, grinning deviously.

Roxax cocked his eyebrow, knowing Vanitas would end up dragging him there either way, especially if it was Axel that was hosting. "Eh–"

Vanitas just squeezed his shoulder and said, "I'll be awaiting your answer."

Everyone began filing back into the living room when the doorbell suddenly rang. A knowing smirk twisted itself onto Ven's lips. Roxas decided that smirking wasn't Ven's thing. It was just disturbing. Like Sora, he was too smiley for such an expression.

"I'm gonna go get another beer. Will you answer the door?" He winked before turning and following the others.

Roxas frowned. Wasn't the host supposed to be the one answering the door? With a sigh, he walked over and yanked it open. His eyes immediately widened when he saw who was on the other side.

"Namine," he breathed, hardly able to believe his eyes.

"Hello, Roxas," she replied softly, her white eyelashes fluttering across her milky skin. "May I come in?"

Roxas stumbled over his words as he awkwardly stepped aside, allowing her passage. "Yeah, of course."

Once inside, Namine removed her tawny coat, revealing a flowing white dress that revealed her slim figure and porcelain skin. Roxas couldn't help but stare at her developed figure. For years she had retained a child-like body, but the recent years had been gracious. His eyes captured the delicate line of her exposed collarbone, the graceful curve of her hips, and the smooth contours of legs.

"Where should I put this?" she questioned, snapping him out of his reverie. He hesitantly formed his words, still somewhat distracted.

"Oh, um, you can put it in here," he managed, opening the closet door for her.

"You look nice," he started nervously. How was this the Namine that he had grown up with? He really had been away from home for a while.

After hanging up her coat, Namine turned to face him. "Thank you." She smiled bashfully, reminding him of their childhood days.

Namine unexpectedly leaned forward and pulled at his tie, startling him. He looked down to see her fingers tightening around the knot, straightening it out. "There. You never could do a tie properly, Roxas." He blushed at her gentle tone, feeling the heat rush to his face. Namine giggled. "You know, I'm really glad that you came back. It's been so long since we've seen each other," she said softly, her words only meant for him to hear.

Something about the way she said that or the way her fingers curled his spiky hair as she reached up to brush aside his messy bangs made a warm feeling grow in his chest. The atmosphere around them suddenly became intimate, and yet Roxas didn't feel bothered by it. What was that that he saw in her eyes as she gazed up at him? That sparkle that only he had really been able to kindle in those depths? The feeling in his chest tightened uncomfortably when her fingers left him, making him feel as if he had lost his air supply. Roxas suppressed a groan as he immediately yearned for her touch.

"Come on, I want to go see everyone," she said, starting down the hallway. Roxas slowly followed behind her in a daze, watching how her hips swayed ever so slightly as she walked He shook his head, trying to stop thinking about her in that way.

As soon as they walked into the room, Kairi and Sora quickly embraced Namine, so Roxas took the moment to sneak into the kitchen. Ven caught onto his distressed face and handed him a beer with a mischevious grin.

"Why the worried face, Rox? Been pining after little Namine too long?"

"She's no longer little Namine," Roxas muttered, popping off the top and taking a long swig.

"You should have seen how her face lit up when I mentioned that you were going to be in town," Ven grinned, nudging his brother playfully.

"What are you trying to get at?" Roxas grumbled.

Ven's grin grew wider. "Oh, come on! You two have been joined at the hip for years! This is like some Christmas reunion where you come home and the two of you see each other after this time and finally admit your feelings to each other!"

"What?!" Roxas choked out, almost spitting out his mouthful of beer. He shot a death glare at Ven. Why was he so damn cheerful over this?

Ven was dead serious, raising his eyebrows in amusement. "You do know that everybody's expected for you two to get together for years, right?"

"Why do I feel as if I've been set up all this time?" his brother muttered. Roxas's eyes moved over to Namine, who was in the middle of a conversation with Kairi.

"Are you really that dense to never have picked up on the fact that you guys have perfect chemistry?"

Roxas crossed his arms, frowning. "Ven, we've been friends since childhood. We're completely platonic. I recognize that, and I don't want to spoil our friendship. And anyways, she could very well only think of me as a brother to her."

"No," Ven said pointedly. "I'm supposed to be the brother figure here. Just face it, you two are the potential couple."

What did Namine even think of him? What did he even think of her? Roxas's hand began to drift upwards to clutch at the fabric of his shirt that lay across his heart. What had been that feeling that he had felt earlier? Did he actually have feeling for her?

"If I could get everyone's attention," Sora called out, raising his hand and waving it around. "Since everyone's here, Kairi and I have a very special announcement."

Roxas's eyes widened. Was he going to-

"We're engaged!" Kairi exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Sora, causing everyone to cheer. While everyone moved to congratulate them, Roxas found himself frozen in place. Were people already getting engaged? When had they all gotten so grown up? Jesus, he was getting old. Roxas winced as Ven sharply jabbed im in the side with his elbow.

"What was that you said about childhood friends being completely platonic?" he teased cheerfully, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Roxas glared at him, suddenly not feeling very much in the Christmas spirit anymore. At least not while he had such "expectations" to live up to.

Somehow, Roxas ended up surviving the night, making it though all of the Christmas cheer and holiday crap. It was pitch black outside as he slowly trudged up the stairs to the room where he would be staying. With a sigh, he collapsed onto the bed, not even caring if he was still fully dressed. Raising his arm, he checked his watch. One o'clock in the morning. He groaned, dropping his arm over his eyes. He didn't know how long he had been lying here, but his ears caught a faint creak from the door. Blinking his eyes open blearily, he caught a slice of light stream into the room as the door opened.

Soft footsteps approached the bed, making him tense slightly. A second later, a familiar blonde with blue eyes hovered over him, looking like a veritable angel. Roxas felt his breath hitch in his chest, startled at her entrance.

"N-Namine, what are y-" Namine interrupted him suddenly by mounting the bed, straddling his waist with her legs. She leaned over him, draping his face and chest with her pale hair.

"I just wanted to see you again, but alone this time. Is that all right with you?" she whispered seductively. Her fingers began to creep along his heaving chest before wrapping themselves around his tie. Loosening it in a second, she looped it off her chest, tossing it to the floor.

"Namine, you're-"

"Shh," she cut him off again by leaning down to press her lips against his. She breathed into him while moving her hands against his chest. Roxas soon found himself putting his arms around her as he began to return the gesture. Their legs tangled together as they began to kiss more fiercely. On an act of impulse, Roxas slid his hands underneath her and flipped her over, pressing his fingers into the soft flesh of her thighs. Namine's fingers fumbled over the buttons of his shirt as his hands shot up her dress. Roxas was caught in a daze as she arced his body under his, whispering her name in a hasty urgency.

Roxas shot up out of his bed, sweat running down his neck and pooling on his chest. His heart felt as if it was about to burst out of his chest as he furiously tried to catch his breath. Running his hands over his face, he tried to reorient himself. Images of his dream kept flooding back, but he tried desperately to push them away. How could he ever think of Namine like that? He felt disgusting and perverted, having dreamt of her in such a way.

Once again, Roxas began to wonder if Namine even housed feelings for him. Wait, did he even want her to? Roxas fell back, running his fingers through his messy spikes. His mind ran a mile a minute as he tried to sort out his feelings towards her. She was undeniably beautiful in his mind, and had always been. She deserved a good man who would love and cherish her for many years. For some reason, he wanted to be that man. Hadn't he loved and cherished for more years than he could count? But you've never showed it, said the niggling voice in his head. Roxas groaned in frustration. Just picturing some stranger standing beside her in a wedding dress brought a bout of rage to him. But did he really love her?

Sighing, Roxas dragged himself out of bed. He pulled off his now drenched dress shirt and put on a pair of black pants and a gray shirt before heading to the bathroom. Upon entering the hallway, he nearly ran right into Sora, who looked like a zombie. Roxas smirked and rushed to the bathroom, slamming the door loudly in the brunette's face. He could hear Sora's protests from the other side, but Roxas decided not to be merciful whatsoever. After relieving himself, he leaned forward over the sink to check the slight bags that had developed over night under his cobalt eyes. After considering for a moment, he took a brief shower, just enough to wash off the sweat that clung to his skin. When he opened the bathroom door, he caught Sora's glare as he stood squirming in the hall. Sora stuck his tongue out at his cousin, to which he received a rather rude gesture his way. Leave it Vanitas to leave such an impression upon him.

Ven had already made breakfast when Roxas descended the stairs, filling the kitchen with the smell of pancakes and bacon. Roxas helped himself to a cup of strong coffee and a plate of food before taking a seat at the table. Cloud was already seated there, but even, being his stoic self. Tifa or Kairi were nowhere to be seen, and Roxas figured that Vanitas was still passed out.

"Had a good sleep?" asked Ven, walking over and plopping down beside his younger brother.

Roxas shrugged dismissively. "Nightmares are relatively common for me."

Ven furrowed his brow in concern. "That doesn't sound good. Do you ever get a decent night's sleep?" He knew better than to get into the grisly details of his brother's dreams after several past experiences.

Roxas didn't reply as he lifted his mug to his lips. Ven sighed. Even though Cloud was anti-social and reserved, Roxas was by far the hardest to get information out of. It didn't help that Roxas was an excellent liar, another attribute that he had unfortunately picked up from Vanitas.

The phone rang just as Sora came bounding down the stairs. Ven rose to answer it while Sora began to pile his plate with all of the leftover food. A second later, Ven handed the phone to Roxas, giving him a knowing look.

Roxas raised his eyebrows in question but took the phone from him, holding it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Roxas," a light voice greeted him.

"Namine?" he nearly choked out, not expecting her to call. Images from his dream began to flash back into his mind, but he determinedly tried to push them away.

On the other side, Namine giggled. "I was calling to see if you had any plans for today."

Roxas's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Um, no actually. Dd you have something in mind?"

There was a short pause. "How about just a walk around town. I know we didn't really get a chance to talk to each other last night, and you always have liked seeing the town all decorated for the holidays," she proposed.

Roxas felt a smile come onto his face despite the looming feeling of deja vu he was having. "Sure, that sounds great."

"Does noon at the Sandlot sound all right?"

Roxas's stormy eyes darted over to the kitchen clock. He was shocked to see that it was already eleven fifteen. He wasn't normally such a late sleeper.

"Yeah, that works fine."

"Great." He swore he could hear her smile through the phone.

"I'll see you then," she said.

"See you soon." After hanging up, he looked up to find both Sora and Ven looking at him. Sora seemed curious as to the whole conversation while Ven only grinned, making Roxas scowl.

"You know-"

"Oh, shut up." Roxas abruptly stood up to push away his dirty dishes, leaving the table. Afterwards, he went back up to his room and shut the door, just wanting to be alone for a few minutes. He sunk down on the bed, cradling his head in his hands. What was he supposed to say? It was now becoming obvious that he had developing feelings for Namine. His dream was pretty implicating. He couldn't deny that he felt something tug at his heart whenever he saw her. But was this really the time? He had only just arrived back in town. It's now or never, the voice in his head reminded him. You only have two more days.

Roxas let out a sigh, something he found himself doing a lot recently. Turning his head towards the window, his eyes fell upon the scattered clouds that littered the gray sky outside. Maybe just…go with the flow then? He rolled his shoulders and stood up, trying to shake off any reservations he had. He grabbed his hooded trench coat as he left the house, pulling it on in case it started to snow late. It wasn't a long walk to the Sandlot since it was in the center of town. There were several people milling about, bustling around as they hurried to finish up any last minute Christmas shopping since it was Christmas Eve already. Roxas glanced around the sandlot, scanning over the crowd when his eyes fell upon her.

With a sweet smile displayed upon her face, Namine began walking towards him, her baby blue dress swaying in the breeze. Roxas frowned as she came nearer, noticing the cardigan she wore. He had already pulled off his coat by the time she reached him. He held it out to her, earning him a confused look.

"It's too cold for you to be walking around without a proper coat," he reprimanded.

Namine tilted her head at his offering. "You don't have to give me your coat. Won't you be cold?"

Roxas shook his head tersely. "Take it. I don't want you to be freezing or have you catch a cold."

Namine warily accepted his offer, nodding, as he swept behind her, wrapping it around her. He smirked, seeing how it came past her knees on her smaller figure. She tugged it snugly around her before looking up at him.

"Thank you, but you really don't have to look after me so, Roxas." There was something challenging in her eyes as she gazed up at him.

Roxas shot her a mild glare. "If I want to take care of you, Namine, I will."

Namine pursed her lips but didn't respond. Then that smile of hers returned and she linked her arm with his. "Want to go check out the shops?"

Roxas shrugged, feeling a smile tug at his own lips. "Sure."

Namine led the way, keeping him close so that he wouldn't be too cold without his coat around him. She loved it whenever she caught him genuinely smiling at all the holiday decorations around town. She knew all too well that he could easily put up a front to satisfy people, but this was the real Roxas that she remembered from their younger years.

"So you've stayed in Twilight Town?" he asked.

Namine nodded. "Yes. After graduation, I was offered several jobs, one in Traverse Town, one in Radiant Garden, and one here at the museum. It wasn't a hard decision for me. I had been away from home long enough. I didn't need any persuading," she smiled, rubbing her hands along her arms, warding off the chill of the air surrounding them. "So, I came back here, got a nice apartment on Market Street, and here I've been."

"You must love it. I know you've wanted to be curator for ages," Roxas recalled. He turned to see her face light up and her dimples show as she smiled, nodding. Her hair shone in the bright winter light and there seemed to be a comforting aura radiating from her, warming his core. Maybe he had always felt it but had never realized its significance. She was so happy. He could feel his heart lurch. She was happy without him, or was it just a front?

They continued walking, passing many other couples, making Roxas blush. Part of him yearned to be like that with Namine. He surprised himself as he realized he wanted to hold her hand and kiss her without a shred of guilt.

"I hear that you got a job at Ansem and Xehanort," Namine said, staring into one store's display window. Her voice was oddly distant. Her eyes slowly moved to hover over his reflection in the glass. "You always wanted to go to the city."

Roxas nodded as they moved along the row of shops. Lingering ice from the previous night crunched beneath their feet.

"Do you like it there?"

Roxas was startled at the abruptness of her question, hearing the faintest note of sadness in her voice. Namine was staring at him, her cerulean eyes locked onto him, imploring.

"It's nice," he started, picking his words carefully yet honestly. "But it can be lonely at times. There are so many people, so it's harder to get to really know people there. It's different than here in Twilight Town."

Namine didn't respond. She turned away and he could see her stiffen slightly. She misses you spoke the voice in his head. She wants you to come back to her. On a sudden impulse, Roxas grabbed her arm. Namine's eyes widened at the action, but Roxas didn't loosen his grip.

"Namine, I…I know it's been a while since we last saw each other. I know we've both changed. You're not the same person you were when we were teenagers and neither am I. But I want to get to know you better, if you'll allow me to."

Namine seemed confused at his cryptic words and silence hung between the two. Were those the faintest of tears he saw in her eyes? He wasn't sure.

"Roxas," Namine whispered, her words nearly getting lost in the slight breeze. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Roxas felt as if a heavy weight had been dropped onto his chest. This was it. How would she react? What if she already had someone? No, she couldn't! He gritted his teeth in frustration at how much he was overreacting. He shouldn't have to be under such stress over this!

"Namine, I…."

Namine waited for him, but it felt as if his tongue was frozen. When he said no more, she took a step towards him, diminishing the gap between them. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted gentle kiss upon his lips. Her hands rested softly on his chest for support. The kiss only lasted a couple of second before she retreated, leaving his skin crawling from her restraint.

"That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" she said quietly. Her eyes were unreadable as Roxas was left in a stupor. When he didn't respond, she started again. "Roxas, I saw how you looking at me last night and how you have today. But I've been waiting for you to come to that realization for years. I'm sorry, but I can't keep waiting for you to sort out your feelings. You're still confused, and I understand that, but I've waited too long. Just know that I'll still care for you either way." Her hand rose to rest on his cheer. She lingered there for a moment before she began to walk away. When she finally turned her back on him, Roxas felt as if he was going to explode from all the swirling emotions inside of him. For some reason though, he couldn't formulate any words and his legs seemed to be nailed to the ground. Soon, she was gone, and he could feel the hole she had left in his chest.

When he got back to Ven's place, Roxas felt like a punching a wall, but he restrained himself. Why hadn't he been able to just say how he felt? Was he really that unsure? He loved her! Yes, he loved her! Letting out a loud groan, he fell back onto the bed, running his hands over his face.

A soft knocking came from the door as Ven peeked into the room. He frowned, seeing the predicament that his brother was in as he walked towards him. He sat down on the bed next to him, biting his lip.

"You know, it helps to just say it out loud. Just to practice. I guarantee that it's easier that way," he said.

Roxas turned to glare at him. "It doesn't matter. It's over. I lost my chance. She won't accept me after what happened."

"What did happen?" asked Ven curiously.

"She went on about how she's been waiting too long and she can't wait long enough for me to sort out my feelings. And you know what I did? I just stood there. Even as she walked away, I couldn't bring myself to call at her or run after her. I'm such an idiot! Such a fucking idiot!"

Ven didn't say anything. He didn't even scold him for swearing. Instead, he just sat there, letting him release all of his pent-up anger.

"You know," he began after waiting several minutes. "It's never too late for anything. You're still here, and Namine won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"It doesn't matter!" Roxas snapped. "She won't believe me if I go to her. She'll just think that I'm desperate!"

"But you are desperate!" Ven pointed out, jabbing him in the chest with his finger. "If she won't believe you, convince her. Can you say that you love her? Come on, say it."

Roxas sucked in a breath, scowling. "Come on, that's-"

"Say it."

Roxas was startled at his brother's stern tone, but he eventually caved. "Fine. I…love her. I love Namine. There, I said it. I love Namine."

Ven gave him a proud smile, patting him on the back. "There, now does that make you feel better? Did that give you a little boost of confidence?"

Roxas hated to admit it, but he nodded. Strangely enough, he felt as if he had been released of something that had been plaguing him for years. He felt free, and a burst of warmth spread through his chest. Like a surge of adrenaline through his veins, he felt as if he could do almost anything.

Roxas jumped up, startling Ven, and ran downstairs, his feet pounding loudly against the wood. He didn't even stop to catch his breath as he yanked open the door, almost making the person on the other side fall into him.

"Roxas!" Namine's gasped, not expecting him to open the door so suddenly.

Roxas's eyes widened at the sight of the girl he was just about to pursue. He quickly grabbed onto the doorframe so he wouldn't fall forward on her. His momentum, however, didn't stop him from nearly doing so. Roxas's face neared hers, and Namine's eyes widened as his lips approached hers. Roxas stepped back, seeing how flustered she was. His chest heaved as he stared at her, neither of them quite sure who ought to speak first.

Roxas took the initiative. "Namine, what are you doing here?"

The blonde in front of him blushed, momentarily averting her gaze. "After I left, I didn't realize that I was still wearing your coat." Roxas's eyes moved to her hands, where she held out his trench coat expectantly. She frowned when he didn't accept it right away. "Roxas-"

Roxas cut her off as he swept down and took her face in his hands, kissing her passionately. Namine's cheeks burned red at the action, but soon she began to kiss him back as her eyes slowly slid shut. His trench coat dropped to the floor, completely forgotten as her arms wrapped around him, moving to rest around his neck. Roxas felt as if he could die from happiness. Here was the girl he loved, in his arms and beneath his lips. And what made it even better was that he knew she loved him too.

When they finally separated, Roxas kept a firm grip on her, making sure that she would listen to him. "I love you. God, I love you so much, Namine. I'm sorry that I've kept you waiting, and I'm sorry for being such a dense idiot who couldn't see the love that you've given me all these years."

Roxas was about to continue, but Namine put a finger on his lips, stopping him. A small smirk pulled at her lips as her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him. "You always did apologize too much," she said, giggling. "But this time, I'll take it for you being such a dense idiot." She then stood up on her toes to kiss him again. After waiting so long, she couldn't get enough of the sweet taste of his kisses.

The two blondes broke apart again when they heard footsteps nearing them. Roxas turned around to see Ven smirking at them triumphantly. He leaned casually against the banister, giving Roxas an 'I told you so' look.

"I knew you two lovebirds had to get together at some point. Good job, Roxas. You finally got the girl," he teased, grinning. "Anyways, I'm going out, so you have the house to yourself, Roxas." Ven stepped around them, sending Roxas a suggestive wink. Normally Roxas would've gone at him for such a comment, but he let him get off easy, not wanting to let go of Namine just yet. Namine just giggled as Ven left, pulling Roxas's face back to face her.

"I guess we're alone then," she said, snuggling her head against his chest.

Roxas was silent for a moment, replaying the events of the last few minutes back in his head, still in disbelief. Then he looked back down at the beautiful girl in his arms, and he smiled. This was all real, and he wasn't planning on letting it go any time soon.

Namine gasped when she felt Roxas's arms scoop up her legs so he held her in his arms. "Roxas, what are you-"

Roxas only smirked, already making his way to the stairs. "Ven did say that we have the house all to ourselves," was all he said, making her blush only darken as she read his devious expression.

Roxas's steps quickened as he made up the stairs, breaking into a run once he reached the top. All that could be heard was his pounding footsteps followed by the slamming of the bedroom door.

The sound of rustling sheets awoke Namine as the morning light filtered through the thin curtains framing the window. She moaned softly as she stretched out across the bed. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt her leg brush against something and warm. She turned over to see Roxas sleeping peacefully beside her. He lay on his back facing the ceiling, his arm curling towards her. A tender smile pulled at her lips as she watched his chest rise and fall with each of his breaths. She then flipped so that she was on top of him, and her fingers moved to brush aside the golden strands of hair that rested across his forehead. As her fingertips lightly grazed across his skin, his eyes opened to stare up at her. A crooked grin spread across his face and his hand rose to stroke her cheek gently.

"Good morning, Namine," he said softly, watching her face light up as he said her name.

"Morning," she replied in a whisper. Their noses rubbed against each other in their close proximity. Namine leaned down and met his awaiting lips, rekindling the heated passion they had shared the previous night. Roxas's hands moved up to trace her delicate shoulder blades, rubbing smooth circles into her porcelain skin. He moaned into their kiss as she pressed against him, feeling her bare body mold into his.

Namine rested her head against Roxas's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. This was real. For years she had wanted to be loved by only one person, and finally she was. Roxas stroked her hair as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"It's Christmas Day," he said in realization.

Namine looked up in surprise. "That's right. It's finally Christmas." She rolled off him and moved to look out the window nearest them. "Roxas, it's snowing!"

"Really?" Roxas moved so he was beside her and his eyes followed hers.

Soft, white flakes fell from the gray sky, sprinkling the ground like thick down feathers. Already it was beginning to pile up, making perfect mounds, as it remained still untouched by footprints and tire tracks.

"It really is a white Christmas this year, isn't it?" Roxas smiled, turning to look back at Namine.

"What time is it?"

Roxas stretched to reach for his watch on the bedside table. "Seven thirty. Hm, I wonder if anyone else is awake yet." Roxas noticed the blush that began to creep across Namine's cheeks.

"That's right. Everyone else is here, aren't they?" At her realization, Roxas chuckled, laying back down and bringing her head back down against his chest.

"Don't worry. Considering how long Ven said people have been waiting for us to get together, I'm sure they'll be fine. I have a feeling that not many people will be surprised."

Namine giggled. "That's true. Even I was wondering when you were going to figure things out."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "I said I was sorry."

Namine touched his cheek playfully. "Don't worry. We're together now, and that's all that counts."

"Namine," Roxas murmured. "I'm leaving tomorrow. But now all I want is to just stay here with you. I don't want to leave you again."

Namine's smile faded and her eyes locked onto his. "Don't talk that way now. Today's Christmas, so let's be happy and not have a care in the world, okay?" Her voice wavered a bit, but she managed to at least sound a little cheerful.

Roxas furrowed his brows, but he sighed, putting on a smile. "You're right. All that matters is that we're together." Roxas pulled her into his embrace, but it didn't last long. Namine shifted against him, moving to the side of the bed.

"I'm going to get dressed. I want to see if anyone is up." Roxas groaned, but followed her lead. Namine dragged the covers partially with her, but left them behind once she rose from the bed in search of her clothes. Roxas took a moment to admire her graceful curves, not able to believe how lucky he was to have such a beautiful woman. He was interrupted when Namine turned to give him a sharp look.

"You're rather reckless when it comes to throwing clothes around, aren't you?"

Roxas chuckled and rose to help her gather up her clothes. He handed her her dress, which had been carelessly thrown into the corner. Bashfully blushing, she gratefully accepted it.

After pulling it on, Namine tried her best to smooth out the wrinkles so it didn't look so obvious as to what had occurred the previous day. She glanced over at Roxas, who was taking out a clean pair of pants and a fresh shirt to wear.

"This time you'll actually be able to help me put on my tie tonight," he teased.

Namine smiled, walking over to him. She hugged him from behind, resting her face against his back. Roxas turned around and grabbed her waist, kissing her. When they broke apart, he took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. When they walked down the stairs, they found Ven already in the kitchen, making coffee. Ven looked up and grinned at the sight of the two of them.

"Mornin'," he greeted them, cocking an eyebrow suggestively as he leaned against the counter. His eyes then fell to their entwined hands. "I see you two got things all worked out. I was beginning to wonder when I'd see you guys since neither of you were around when I got back."

"Did you go to Axel's party last night?" questioned Roxas. Although he was slightly guilty that he hadn't gone to Axel's infamous Christmas Eve party, he had not regrets for staying in Namine.

"Yeah, but only for a bit," replied Ven, smirking. "He said he missed you, but he also said that he was sure you were occupied with something even more important to miss his party."

Namine blushed but Roxas chuckled, wrapping his arm around Namine's waist. "Anyways, merry Christmas."

"Yes, merry Christmas!" Sora's voice called out as he bounded down the stairs, Kairi trailing behind him, albeit at a slower pace. Cloud and Tifa followed behind them, then Vanitas, Sora having woken them up with his abundant energy despite how early it was.

"Where were you? I thought you were planning on going to Axel's party last night?" Sora asked Roxas, but Vanitas pulled him away.

"I'm sure Roxas had more important things to do than go get hammered at a party," Vanitas said, nodding at Roxas and Namine with a sly smirk.

"What? Namine?!"

"Oh my god, Sora, did you really just realize that she was there?"

"Looks like Roxas got lucky last night."

"Can you all just shut up and appreciate that it's Christmas already?" muttered Roxas, rolling his eyes.

"Roxas," chided Namine, but Roxas quickly planted a kiss on her cheek, cutting her off.

"Well, this really has been an eventually holidays season," Ven said with a smile. "Sora and Kairi are getting married and the Roxas finally saw the light with Namine."

"Ah, there's nothing more romantic than love during the Christmas season," said Kairi, leaning into Sora's shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

"Merry Christmas!"

Roxas looked down at Namine as he pulled her into his arms. "I love you."

"And I you."

* * *

Once again, thanks again and please review!


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